Los Angeles will unite once again in championship fashion as the Lakers honor the Dodgers, 2025 World Series champions, during Wednesday night’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena.
Several Dodgers stars, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Evan Phillips, are expected courtside as the city celebrates its second straight MLB title, according to The Athletic’s Dan Woike.
The Dodgers’ World Series win this year over the Toronto Blue Jays went the distance, with Game 7 at Toronto’s Rogers Centre ending in an 11-inning thriller. Smith’s go-ahead home run in the top of the 11th gave Los Angeles a 5–4 lead, and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto brought the Dodgers’ championship story to its climax with a double-play ball turned by Betts moments later.
The victory made the Dodgers the first team since the 1998–2000 New York Yankees to win consecutive World Series titles. Monday’s championship parade drew massive crowds, and Wednesday’s Lakers tribute will be the next stop in the citywide celebration.
The celebration also holds special significance for Los Angeles sports. Dodgers owner Mark Walter, who was officially approved last week as the new majority owner of the Lakers, now oversees both franchises, linking two of the city’s most storied teams more closely than ever. Magic Johnson, a minority Dodgers owner and Lakers legend, has also expressed pride in the franchise’s continued success.
The Lakers enter the night boasting an impressive 6–2 record while coping with early injuries, including LeBron James’ sciatica. They’ll host the 5–1 Spurs, led by early MVP favorite Victor Wembanyama, in one of the Western Conference’s premier early matchups.
